


Oceans of Sand

by celestial_seraphim



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: AU, Inspired by Mad Max Series (Movies), M/M, Mad Max AU, Soriku - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-14
Updated: 2019-04-14
Packaged: 2020-01-13 00:48:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18458054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celestial_seraphim/pseuds/celestial_seraphim
Summary: With water scarce, oceans dried up, the world has become a crueler place. Even so, Sora holds out hope that there is a place where peace can reign once more. Deciding to seize his own destiny even if it leads nowhere, he runs from the citadel and into the wastelands that were once a grand ocean.





	Oceans of Sand

**Author's Note:**

> Just a lil one shot to help me stay in practice between updating my longer fic. Mad max au's are always fun to write, enjoy! ^^ just teeny little descriptions of cuts and bruises but that's it

It seemed the wind storm had finally died down. Sora only knew it when the abrasive grains of sand had stopped cutting into his skin. His face felt raw and torn up, feeling around to make sure he was actually okay. After that, it was hard to believe he was still physically there. He felt worn away by the sand weaponized by the violent gusts. After a while during the storm, he had given up on keeping his eyes open. It only led to a stinging pain. Yes, this world was painful, but he supposed this was the price of freedom. When he opened his eyes again, being sure the storm had ceased, he immediately closed them as the intense light from the sun burned. Blinking a few times, his eyes finally began to adjust to the light. The shapes ahead of him were blurry, out of focus like looking through a stained glass window. As soon as his vision cleared, Sora willed his legs to move once again. A vast canyon stretched out before him with the clear blue sky ahead, though from the heat it took on a more orange hue. As he started walking again, he tried to imagine what this place had once looked like when the water was there. It was hard to imagine this place was once an ocean, deep and blue. Was the world a gentler place then? It must’ve been like a paradise..to have water everywhere. Now, all anyone knew was heat and conflict. The oceans had dried up, and then it was everyone for themselves or so he had read. It was still a long ways from the mainland, and he had to conserve energy for the climb. 

Sora took advantage of every bit of water he could find, scavenging in small caves to find puddles and lapping up as much as he could. Still, his mouth felt sandpaper everytime he tried to swallow, but he needed to keep going. Stopping meant death. He had to keep going. Though his legs stumbled, they kept moving thanks to his own stubborn mentality. His head was pounding thanks to the hit he had taken in his escape. The wind storm had been..an inconvenience to say the least, but it was the only reason he had escaped his pursuers on their vehicles. Sora cursed himself for being so unprepared. He should’ve waited, stolen supplies and ran away in the dead of night, but no, he had to act on impulse and simply run. 

His own dry cough broke the silence of the desolate landscape. It made him freeze in place, whipping his head around, eyes open and ears straining for any sounds of engines. He stood like that for a few minutes, only moving when he was sure nothing was coming. 

Why was he even out here? Because of the myth of some oasis where the world was at peace? Sora laughed at himself. Well, he needed to find something, or he was either never going to make it out of the wastes or he’d be found. He knew they were looking. After all, he had been a prized gladiator in the games. They weren’t going to just look over his escape. 

Even when the stars dotted the sky, Sora kept going. He had taken what he would guess to be his thirtieth break, and it was time to keep moving. His eyes, which had felt dull, tired, heavy, lit up when he noticed the land starting to slope upwards: the mainland! It was funny as he stared up at the stars, hoping to gain some motivation from their presence. Even with the world like this, the stars were always there. He recognized the constellations he saw every night. It brought some comfort to know that some things never change. His eyes shifted to the crescent moon that hung in the sky: another celestial body that always watched over the world, watching it change. Just how much has it seen? 

_ Revving engines.  _ Sora’s whole body went rigid, nearly making him collapse onto his knees. Eyes filled with fear, he dared to glance back, seeing the unmistakable beams of headlights roaming through the canyon he had just ventured through. Shouts of voices echoed through it. The panic was enough to get his legs moving, but he doubted he even had the stamina to keep up at a sprinting pace. Even if he could, there was no way he could outrun vehicles and motorcycles. 

He couldn't look back. He couldn’t look back. Sora’s pace was more of a jog, being all he could manage. His breaths were ragged and raspy, stumbling as he went. He had to hang onto a sliver of hope that maybe they wouldn’t spot him. He’d make it..he’d make it. 

   “It can’t..end like this.” It came out as a hoarse whisper before his legs finally gave out. As his knees scraped against the small jagged rocks on the ground, darkness began to overtake his vision. Before his world went dark, he heard the blaring engine of a motorcycle by his left ear. Was one really that close? He tried to turn his head to see what it was, but he was quickly losing consciousness. As his mind went elsewhere, he thought of what that mythical oasis might look like..maybe there’s an ocean that still exists. 

 

Sora felt..cold. He couldn’t remember the last time he actually felt like that. As he felt around with his hands, he immediately retracted them when they touched something cold and..wet. Was that.what he thought it was? Snapping his eyes open, Sora glanced down to find not just some puddle but a whole pool of..water! Maybe he had actually made it to the oasis somehow. From his surroundings, he was in a cavern. Sunlight shone down through holes in the ceiling of it, cascading down through the large pool of water. It was deep, though Sora could make out the bottom far below. He could cry it was so beautiful. To him, it was like an ocean. He dipped his hand in the cold water once more before immediately kneeling down and drinking his fill. Even when he coughed from drinking too quickly, he kept going until he was finally satisfied. With a little sigh, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and sat up. 

   “Oh, you’re awake.” 

Sora shrieked at the sudden voice, not even thinking about how he had gotten here. He immediately backed up to the wall, though his weakened legs made him collapse again. He put on a brave face that he hoped made it look like he was ready to fight. Looking up, he saw a guy clad in head to toe in black: pants, shirt, jacket, even his boots. On his head, a gray scarf covered his mouth and nose along with a pair of dark goggles. All he could make out was the silvery hair on top. 

   “Wh-who are you? Where am I? All I remember was hearing a motorcycle before blacking out.” Thanks to the water, Sora’s voice was strong once again. 

   “You have pretty sharp hearing for the state you were in. Not to mention you must be familiar with different types of engines.” He walked around Sora, being sure to keep his distance as he sat across from him. Finally, he took off his headgear one by one: the goggles, the scarf. Sora had expected some crusty waste dweller either looking to maybe..eat him? Or turn him in for a bounty. Sora was surprised to see..a really pretty face actually. The stranger stared back at him with the most brilliant blue eyes: like the sky during day break. Sure, his face was a bit dirty, but out here, that wasn’t out of the ordinary. Sora was sure he didn’t look much better. 

   “I’m Riku by the way. And you’re right. I ride a motorcycle, fixed it up myself. I happened to be passing by and saw you. You were going to get snatched, so I snatched you first I guess.” Riku shrugged nonchalantly, taking a bit of dried meat out of his pack. He held out one to Sora. Just at the mere sight of something edible, Sora quickly grabbed it, wasting no time in stuffing it into his mouth. 

   “Oh, my name is Sora, and thank you. I..really didn’t think my plan through. Haha. They would’ve take me back.” He swallowed the bit of food with a gulp, going for the water again. “How did you find this place? Water’s pretty hard to come by. It’s why people mostly stick to the citadels where the water’s hoarded, but it’s there.” 

   “Nice to meet you, Sora. I just know my way around. It’s true that water is hard to come by nowadays, but you just have to know where to look. It’s still there, but it’s more like hidden treasure. I’ve traversed this area long enough to know I guess.” Riku shrugged, pushing a pile of the dried meat towards Sora. He looked like he needed it more than him right now. “Do you come from one of the citadels? You must’ve had it rough if you decided to run.” 

Sora scanned over Riku, noticing the large dagger hanging from his belt. He wasn’t sure what it was..perhaps it was simply interacting with another person who showed him kindness. Maybe he was still too trusting of others. 

   “You could say that. I was a gladiator..a fighter. I fought in the games there, but I didn’t feel free. I guess I had this pipe dream of being able to find an oasis. I read stories about it.” The stories alone had given him the strength to keep going. 

   “Hmm, I know the story, but I’m pretty sure it doesn’t actually exist. The oceans are gone.” Riku took out a canteen, pushing it into the water. “A gladiator, huh? That’s pretty rough, but I hear it can be rewarding if you’re good at it. Lots of fighters have gotten rich, but you didn’t want that?” 

   “Well, what do you do exactly? Just wander around finding spots with water?” Sora made a face, finding it rather easy to talk to Riku despite just meeting him. 

   “A wanderer is a good word for me I suppose. I travel around, sometimes I’ll visit a citadel if I feel like it. I’m like you in a way. I like freedom too. I fight for it, and I fight those who wish to take it away. I only bounty hunt for the few good citadels left.” Riku furrowed his brows, studying Sora carefully. He could never be too careful with those he met in the wastelands. 

   “I see..” Sora contemplated his current situation. He could get hydrated and keep going on his journey, but the problem was he actually had no idea where he was going. At the start, he simply headed away, far away from the citadel where they couldn’t find him with no direction whatsoever. Now, he was sitting in front of someone who knew the land well. Maybe..his odds of survival would be better with someone who was experienced and having a vehicle was a plus. Still, he didn’t know if Riku could be an ally. He could very well take Sora back to where he started and turn him in for a reward, but..something about him painted a different picture. It also wasn’t helping that he was pretty cute for a wasteland wanderer. 

   “Take me with you.” 

Riku nearly spat out the water he was drinking, coughing and sputtering and having to hold up a finger like “one moment please.” 

   “E-excuse me? We just met. How do you know you’ll even be safe with me?” Riku had been sure this in world, as cruel as it had turned, that people had lost all trust in one another. Yet, this one just asked that. 

   “That’s true, but weighing my odds, I’ll stand a better chance going with you than trying to find the oasis on my own with no vehicle, no food, or water. I’m putting my heart out to you, whether that’s a good idea or not..I don’t care. But it’s ultimately your choice,” Sora said in a calm tone, looking Riku right in his eyes. “But, if you say no, just know I’ll most likely die or get kidnapped out here.” 

   “Gee, thanks for the guilt trip,” Riku sighed, but a smile began to pull on his lips. Sora..he was more tenacious than Riku initially thought. “Well, I want to make sure you have the stuff first. Do you consider yourself a bad ass?” 

   “Uh, yes? I know how to fight, wield a sword and stuff. I know I can contribute to..whatever you do.” Sora couldn’t quite tell if he was being serious or not. 

   “Come on, answer it strongly!” 

   “Yes, I’m a bad ass!” 

   “Again!” 

   “I’M A BADASS!” Sora screamed it from the top of his lungs enough that it echoed all throughout the cave. “You happy?” 

   “Yeah, but to be honest, I was just messing with you. Welcome to my now two man team,” Riku snickered, rather amused. Sora pouted, but made no attempt to retaliate further. That scream had strained his throat enough. 

They rested in the cave until around late afternoon. Riku packed his stuff back up, wrapping the scarf around his neck again. He offered Sora a hand and easily lifted him up to his feet. 

   “Wow..you’re really strong.” Sora tried his best not to appear flustered. 

   “I have to be out here, but thanks.” 

Sora stuck close to Riku as he followed him to the entrance of the cave. He couldn’t see much of anything at first due to the sunlight, having to shield his eyes with his hand until they properly adjusted. Blinking a few times, he saw the motorcycle he had heard last night. It shimmered silver, not much different from Riku’s hair with accents of black. Once Riku got on, he patted the rest of the seat behind him. 

   “Well, get on. We should go before it starts getting dark.” 

Snapping out of his daze, Sora nodded quickly and carefully slid on the seat. A strong hand grabbed him before he fell off, helping him back on. “Um, you might want to hang onto me, or I might lose you along the way.” There was some hesitation there, though only slight. Sora guessed Riku was rather good at hiding behind words, saying words with little feeling. 

It wasn’t the heat of the sun that was making Sora’s face heat up as he apprehensively wrapped his arms around Riku’s torso. He gulped as he could feel the steady pulse of his heart. How could he already be feeling stuff like this from someone he just met? It was as if they met before..but where? The roar of the engine broke his thoughts, and all he could do was cling onto Riku as the bike jolted forward, kicking up gravel and sand behind it. For now, all that mattered was the road ahead. He knew in his heart the oasis had to be real, and he’d find it. He’d find it. 


End file.
